Three-way tie for lead in France at Evian Masters

Friday

Jul 27, 2007 at 12:05 AMJul 27, 2007 at 12:12 AM

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France (AP) — Pat Hurst and Brittany Lincicome of the United States and Eun-hee Ji of South Korea each shot a 6-under 66 Thursday to share the lead after the first round of the Evian Masters.

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France (AP) — Pat Hurst and Brittany Lincicome of the United States and Eun-hee Ji of South Korea each shot a 6-under 66 Thursday to share the lead after the first round of the Evian Masters.

Michelle Wie, the 17-year-old star from Hawaii, shot a 73 and has not broken par since finishing tied for second at this event last year.

On a day of low scoring, the leaders were just one shot ahead of Christina Kim of the United States, and Kyeong Bae and Jin Joo Hong of South Korea.

Hurst, who is in her 13th season on the tour, started well with a birdie at the first and finished with an eagle on the 18th.

"I hit a 4-iron to 10 feet, so it was a good ending," she said. "The putting is what is tough, but the more years I come here the easier it is to read the greens."

The 21-year-old Ji was undaunted by her Evian Masters debut, holing out with her second shot at the third hole for an eagle. She also birdied the fourth, seventh and ninth holes.

"I hit a 9-iron from 130 yards," Ji said. "I played good all day."

The 21-year-old Lincicome, who won the Ginn Open in April, eagled the ninth and almost did the same at the 18th.

Karrie Webb, the defending champion from Australia, stayed in contention with a 70.

She was 3 under after four holes. Webb also ended with a birdie as she found the greens more difficult as the day wore on.

MARKHAM, Ontario — Hunter Mahan had to rely on the crowd to tell him where his approach shot ended up on the ninth green in the Canadian Open.

The load roar made it easy to figure out that he holed the 81-yard shot for his third eagle of the round — and second on a par-4 hole.

"I was like, 'Wow! That's crazy,'" Mahan said. "That doesn't happen."

Playing in perfect scoring conditions on Angus Glen's North Course, Mahan also holed out from 189 yards on No. 18 — the ninth hole of his morning round — and made a more routine eagle with a 10-foot putt on the par-5 11th. He finished with a 9-under 62 to match the tournament record and take a two-stroke lead.

Australia's Steve Allan was second after a 64, and Canadian David Hearn was another stroke back along with Tripp Isenhour.

GULLANE, Scotland — Nick Faldo recaptured enough of his famous competitive edge to shoot a 3-under 68 for a share of the lead in his senior tour debut.

The six-time major champion made six birdies — including a 3-foot putt at the last — in the first round of the Senior British Open at Muirfield, where he won two of his three Opens, in 1987 and '92.

Joining Faldo at 3 under were 65-year-old Dave Stockton, a regular on the Champions Tour, Nick Job and Gordon J. Brand.

Faldo went out with Tom Watson (70) and Mark O'Meara (72), a trio with a combined 16 majors.

ALVESLOHE, Germany — Simon Khan shot a 7-under 65 for the first-round lead at the Deutsche Bank Players Championship.

Khan finished a stroke ahead of two other Englishmen — Lee Slattery and Oliver Wilson.

Paul Casey, Michael Campbell, Niclas Fasth and Andres Romero all shot 68s on a windless day on the Gut Kaden course. Casey said that rain in the past few weeks had made the greens harder to read.

"It's difficult to make putts with all the rain this course had had and the greens are a little bumpy," Casey said. "But they will get better as the week goes on. It's a good start, I have just got to do more of the same."